Maintaining a vehicle in Texas could become less costly if Senator Don Huffines (R-Dallas) has his way. Speaking in front of the Senate Transportation Committee in January, Huffines said the state’s vehicle inspection program is nothing but a money grab that provides absolutely no benefit to the community or consumers. “There are 35 states that […]

The Texas Senate Committee on Criminal Justice motioned for the improvement of mental health services in county jails on Wednesday, citing the highly publicized and controversial death of Sandra Bland, an activist against police brutality who was reported to have committed suicide following her arrest after a traffic stop in July 2015. Though the committee […]

A woman from the Austin area has been charged with a Class A misdemeanor after allowing her children to get tattoos. Ashley Weir, 31, permitted her boyfriend’s brother, a registered sex offender, to tattoo her three children, all of whom are younger than 13-years-old. The Austin Police Department got involved after they were contacted by […]

If you think about it for a minute, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense that Austin Mayor Steve Adler got stuck in a fight with Uber and Lyft. (Article by Noah Kulwin, republished from http://recode.net/2016/03/16/meet-austin-mayor-steve-adler-the-guy-caught-between-a-rock-and-uber-and-lyft/) Adler is a progressive Democrat in charge of a deeply blue city in one of the reddest states in the country. […]

AUSTIN (AP/KXAN) — Ted Cruz accused Republican presidential rival Donald Trump of stoking false rumors about his personal life on Friday, charging that the billionaire businessman and GOP front-runner is trafficking in “sleaze” and “slime.” (Article by Kylie McGivern, republished from http://kxan.com/2016/03/25/cruz-says-trump-spreading-false-rumors-about-personal-life/) Speaking to reporters in Wisconsin, Cruz said the campaign has taken a “darker turn.” He […]

OVERNIGHT : Clinton has edge over Trump on range of issues, according to AP-GfK poll, per Julie Pace and Emily Swanson. “Even when asked which of the two candidates would be best at ‘making American great’ — the central promise of Trump’s campaign — Americans are slightly more likely to side with Clinton, according to the poll.” […]

Austin, Texas (CNN)Whether you’re international pop sensation Taylor Swift or recording manager Taylor Brode, being a woman in the music industry isn’t easy, three high-powered female leaders in independent music say. (Article by Daniella Diaz, republished from http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/11/politics/women-music-leadership-2016-election/index.html) But Brode, Molly Neuman and Maggie Vail say they’re doing their best to change that. After experiences in […]

The Austin City Council on Thursday closed one large loophole in the city’s criminal background checks for taxi, shuttle and limousine drivers, voting to make those checks national in scope. (Article by Ben Wear, republished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/austin-expands-background-checks-for-taxi-drivers/nq2SP/) Up until now, the background checks for most of those drivers were limited to Texas offenses. The checks were […]

The City Council is expected to approve a jobs ordinance that will push conversations about felony convictions later in the hiring process. (Article by Hannah McBride, republished from https://www.texasobserver.org/austin-poised-ban-the-box/) Update, March 24: After two hours of public testimony, Austin City Council passed the fair chance hiring ordinance, with council members Don Zimmerman and Ellen Troxclair voting against […]

The Texas Rowing Championships Regatta is a two-day event (April 16th&17th) open to junior and master crews from the state of Texas. This 1000-meter event features a 7-lane fully buoyed race course on Lady Bird Lake. TRC happens to be the principal regatta in a series of events that determine the best high school rowers […]

1. “Where the Wild Things Are” at the Long Center (Article by Arianna Auber, republished from http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/the-planner-7-days-7-things-april-10-16/nqzsS/) 11 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $17-$25. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive. thelongcenter.org. Everyone’s favorite children’s book from Maurice Sendak is now a live […]

Preparations are underway for this year’s Art City Austin. The fine art festival and art marketplace will take place April 29 – May 1 at the Palmer Event Center. Art will be both inside and out. Organizers say the move to Palmer Event Center gives people more parking, shade, restrooms and more art. Thousands of […]

At a time when educating women defied social, cultural and religious norms, 17th century Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz became an acclaimed poet, playwright and self-taught scholar. (Article by Nancy Flores, republished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/entertainment/best-of-latino-cultural-arts-in-april/nqtCk/) Sor Juana, as she’s known, is often described as the first feminist of the Americas for her trailblazing writing […]

It’s been 21 years since the world lost Selena Quintanilla Pérez, but the legacy of this Tejano superstar — who was on the brink of crossing over to the English-language music market before she died on March 31, 1995— lives on. Selena fans across the country will honor her memory with tributes throughout her birthday month […]

The Onezie at Zilker Brewing. Zilker’s one-year anniversary is being celebrated with a special single malt, single hop beer, food from Veracruz All-Natural, ice cream, music and more. 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday. Free. 1701 E. Sixth St. facebook.com/events/1092080390855010. (Article by Ariana Auber, republished from http://www.mystatesman.com/news/entertainment/bars-clubs-other/austins-drinking-events-calendar-april-2016/nqynC/) 90s Bar Crawl. Relive the ’90s glory days at this […]